That the bill falls short of what is already law in many other states isn’t a reflection of Holcomb’s failure as a leader.

I am not a Republican. But I will be voting for Gov. Eric Holcomb next year, mostly for one reason — his tireless and inspiring advocacy in favor of hate crimes legislation. While the bill he signed into law recently is far from perfect, I am as proud of his leadership as I am stymied by the criticism he is receiving from the media and political activists alike.

Like so many of us, I have been consistently alarmed by the rise, both nationwide and across Indiana, of disgusting hate crimes committed against minority groups. The response from our president has done little to quell my fears and disgust. Instead, I have taken solace knowing that Indiana has a governor committed to standing up for laws designed to protect Indiana’s vulnerable populations.

Last July, after the horrific graffiti attack on a synagogue in Carmel, Holcomb issued a statement saying that: “No law can stop evil, but we should be clear that our state stands with the victims and their voices will not be silenced. For that reason it is my intent that we get something done this next legislative session, so Indiana can be one of 46 states with hate crimes legislation — and not one of five states without it." What followed was 10 months of Holcomb battling members of his own party, attempting to craft a law that would enhance criminal punishments for those who attack and target racial and religious minorities and the LGBTQ community.

I, for one, was not surprised by his advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Holcomb had already proven to be a modern voice of reason within the Indiana Republican Party on LGBTQ issues. In a letter he wrote to attendees of the 2017 Indy Pride Festival (celebrating the LGBTQ community), he said “It is important that we always seek to understand and accept individuals no matter their political affiliation, religion, race, gender identity, sexual orientation or other differences. Hoosier hospitality means that all are welcomed and valued in our state.” Similarly, last summer, Holcomb’s chosen leader of the Indiana GOP tried to change the party platform to include language more inclusive to same-sex couples (the language was rejected overwhelmingly, in favor of a platform embracing, exclusively, marriages between one man and one woman).

Holcomb’s pattern of acceptance and inclusion carried through to his fight for hate crime legislation this year. The biggest challenge he faced was persuading members of his own party member to adopt language specifically addressing crimes against the LGBTQ community. While the language that eventually adopted and signed into law is vague and suboptimal, it is hardly the fault of Holcomb. He was facing a Republican Statehouse largely made up of the same state representatives and state senators who passed the disastrous Religious Freedom and Restoration Act in 2015. The fact that Holcomb was able to get any hate crimes bill passed through this Statehouse was incredible to me. That the bill falls short of what is already law in many other states —language specifically addressing crimes targeting racial, ethnic and religious minorities and the LGBTQ community — isn’t a reflection of Holcomb’s failure as a leader. The fact that any hate crimes bill was passed at all It is a credit to his leadership.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, an organization that had fervently advocated for comprehensive hate crimes legislation (that, unlike our new law, specifically includes language addressing hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals) said that “To those wanting a perfect bias crimes bill that spells out everything, we hear you and we understand; that was our shared goal. While that’s ideal, it was not politically realistic at this time.” Indiana Competes, an arm of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, also expressed dismay over the lack of comprehensive protections in the bill, but acknowledged that it was certainly better than no bill at all and that the fight for a comprehensive and complete hate crimes bill isn’t over. Holcomb hasn’t referred to the new law as the be all end all. He called it a “step in the right direction.” It is my hope that he will be a continue to advocate for additional language on par with other states that fully protect vulnerable minority groups.

What I saw was a Republican governor taking a stance that is incredibly unpopular within his extremely conservative state party. That shows courage. Instead of an acknowledgement of his bravery, he has been lambasted by the Indiana Democratic Party, calling him “ineffective,” “strong on talk” but “weak on action.” The South Bend Tribune Editorial Board said “All of which made his actions last week, in endorsing a embarrassing half-measure that fails to take a strong stand against hate in the Hoosier state, so wrong.” In her March 26 IndyStar column, Suzette Hackney, even while acknowledging that Holcomb had privately been pressuring Republicans (albeit unsuccessfully) to keep in language specifically protecting the LGBTQ community, called his support for the final bill “disgraceful” and proof that Holcomb “clearly rejects the transgender individuals who call Indiana home.”

It is easy to say that the bill that passed is imperfect, and perhaps easier still to blame Holcomb for the bill’s imperfections. But doing so ignores the political reality of living in a redder-than-red state. It was obvious that Holcomb had to expend every ounce of political capital he had to persuade his party to take the first step toward hate crimes legislation. For that, he has earned my admiration and support.